-The Indian Express According to a report prepared by CPCB in March last year, the Cities of Varanasi and Faridabad are the most polluted in winters, with the air quality index regularly showing the severely polluted warning sign. Delhi is at number three, as per the report. Delhi’s air quality has suffered more in the first two weeks of August as compared to the same time last year, data collated by the...

-Livemint.com The caste networks will disappear when the market economy starts to function efficiently The caste system is arguably the most distinctive feature of Indian society. The Indian population is divided into four hierarchical classes, or varnas, with a large sub-population of untouchables excluded entirely from the system. Within each of these classes, and among the untouchables, are thousands of castes, or jatis. The central rule in Hindu society is that individuals...

-The Times of India CHANDIGARH: Varnika Kundu, who survived an abduction bid in Chandigarh on August 4, has consistently said that her fight is for all women who have been harassed. It seems her fight has touched a chord with women across the country. Night marches were organised in at least 20 Cities to fight the mindset that women should not stay out late. It all started with a march in Chandigarh...

-The Indian Express   Niti Aayog proposal for privatising public hospitals is ill-designed, driven by ideology more than welfare The corporate hospitals have been resting their gaze on public hospitals for long: Land, doctors and patients. Finally, in the Niti Aayog, they have found a sympathetic collaborator. As per media reports, the Aayog is all set to push states to privatise well functioning district hospitals in the Tier 2 and 3...

-Livemint.com The RBI survey for June 2017 shows people are as unhappy with their income growth, employment and economic well-being as they were before the Narendra Modi government came to power Perceptions matter. The government of the day will be able to garner more support if people feel their incomes are increasing or their employment prospects have improved. True, non-economic factors matter a lot and, throughout history, the ability to stage circuses...